Shoe.



Patented Apr. l5, i902.

J. c. WRIGHT.

S H 0 E.

mppumion md may 15, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. IVRIGHT, OF BROOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE.

SPEGIFICATIO forming part of Letterslatent No. 697,590, dated April 15,1902.

Application filed May 15, 1901. Serial No. 60,258. (Nomodel.)

To all when@ it may concern: i

Be it known that I, JOHN C. WRIGHT, of Brockton,in the county ofPlymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a laced shoe having an elasticfront and an elastic lacing, so that the shoe may be drawnon or offwithout unfastening the lacing. It is much easier to make a low-cut orOxford shoe which can be drawn on and oif without unlacing than it is tomake a high-cut shoe which can be so used, because a high shoe must bespread more at the top in order to admit the foot than is necessary in alow shoe.

My invention is designed to attain the desired result by such aconstruction as will permit the use of a greater length of lacing,thereby affording a wider expansion, and yet leaving no slack in thelacing when the sho'e is on the foot and without exposing the extralength.

My invention consists of the novel construction and combination ofelements, as will be hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims at the close of the specification. p

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a shoe embodying myinvention, a portion of the frontof the shoe being broken away to moreclearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammaticrepresentation of the front of the shoe. Fig. 3 is a sectional view,enlarged, showing the form of eyelet which I intend to use for the twotop eyelets and the knotted lacing held in the eyelet.

Referring now to the drawings, I represents the upper of a laced shoe,which is open down the middle in the usual manner of laced shoes and isprovided with lacing-holes 2. Instead of the usual inelastic tongue Iemploy a tongue 3, of elastic webbing or other elastic fabric, which issecured to the inside of the upper -at both sides and at the bottom, asby a line of stitches 4. The tongue is of sufficient width to extend aconsiderable distance beyond the lacing-holes 2, so as to aordsufficient expansion to draw the shoe onto the foot. As it is necessaryto expand the shoe at the upper portion of the opening more than at thelower portion, I' prefer to make the tongue wider toward the top.

In order to avoid lacing and unlacing each time the shoe is put on andoff, I make the .laps without increasing the amount exposed,

I attach to the shoe between the upper 1 and the tongue 3 along the line4 of the secured edges of the tongueaseries of loops 6 or other suitableguides, through which the lacing 5 is passed alternately with the passesthrough the holes 2. I have shown these guides as being employed only inconnection with the upper part of the shoe, because the lower portionrequires no more expansion than will be readily afforded by the shortlaps, but, if desired, the line of guides may be continued clear to thelower end of the tongue. I prefer to locate the guides in the mannershown, opposite the middle point between the lacingholes; but I do notlimit myself to such arrangement, nor to the particular manner of lacingshown in the drawings, nor to the particular form of guides shown,althoughIprefer the loops.

In order to avoid the bow-knot which occurs when the lacing is tied infront in the usual manner, I prefer to form a hard knot or knob in thelacing just after it has passed inwardly through the top hole on eachside, and this knot will prevent the lacing from drawing through whenstretched. In order that the knot may not press'against the instep, Iprefer to form the two upper eyelets 2, as shown in Fig. 3, with thehole larger on the inner side thanon the outer side, so that the knot 7will lie in the chamber formed by the enlargement, but the smalleropening on the outside will prevent the knot from being drawn through.

What I claim is-' ICO ries of guides attached to the inside of the shoefarther from the division-opening than side of the opening and atagreater distance from the division-opening than are thelaeingholes, andan elastic lacing which passes through the said lacing-holes and saidguides, the holes on one side being laced With the guides onA the other,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN C. VRIGHT. Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. COPELAND, ARTHUR O. RANDALL.

